The reemergence of pumpkin spice combined with the sights and sounds of football season remind us that we are indeed now in the fourth quarter of 2021. Since it seems the months—and years—are starting to blend together, may this blog serve as a gentle reminder that it's time to start thinking about the new year ahead. Set yourself up for success with your awareness of these five social media trends that are on the horizon for 2022:
1. Online Shopping through Social Media — Social media continues to emerge as an eCommerce platform. Facebook Shop and Instagram Shop already provide ease of access for users to shop within the platform itself. With pandemic shutdowns in 2020 aiding in this increase, users purchasing products through social media platforms increased by 25.2% in 2021, reaching over 80 million people. This number is forecasted to exceed over 100 million in 2023. Just last year, nearly 18% of US Consumers clicked “BUY” on a social media platform. Instagram is one of the leading social eCommerce outlets. As many as 70% of consumers look to Instagram to discover a product.
2. Short-Form Video Content — Known for its short-form videos, TikTok was downloaded 315 million times around the world in the first quarter of 2020. This set a record for downloads in one quarter by any other app. Instagram Reels also allows short-form video content up to 30 seconds in length. Reels has consistently outperformed Instagram’s other two video offerings—IGTV and Stories. According to one study, as much as 82% of online content will consist of videos by 2022.
3. Augmented Reality (AR) — most commonly seen through the use of filters, lenses, emojis, stickers, and interactive product displays and maps, the use of Augmented Reality (AR) on social media continues to increase. Although it may sound a little “futuristic,” if you’ve ever posted an Instagram story and added a filter or sticker, you are using AR. If you have a mobile device with one of the social media apps on it, then you have AR right at your fingertips.
4. Micro-influencers — Marketing through micro-influencers is poised to surge in 2022. Unlike Influencer marketing as we know it, micro-influencers have fewer followers (3,000 – 10,000 followers), are more niche-centric, and can engage with their audience in a more personal and authentic way. Micro-influencers are great for offering insight into new products, some of which companies send them before they even go to market. These influencers are also considered to be a cost-effective way to market to your end-users, making your return on investment go a lot further.
5. Focus on Customer Service — According to Sprout Social, 49% of customers say that they unfollow brands that have poor customer service. Negative feedback from customers on social media is just that—a big negative! Don’t turn a complaint about a product into a double-complaint that now includes your customer service. Ensuring that you have someone on your team who will help address these issues on social media, including responding to direct messages and comments, along with answering customer questions is paramount.
Ready to start implementing these ideas? We've created a planner to help you stay organized. Click below to download your Weekly Social Media Content Planner and get started today!
